Cheese Souffle with Chicken and Spinach…throw in a simply dressed salad and that is my kind of dinner. In today’s Chicago Tribune Dianne Rossen Worthington explores the souffle, breaking it down to an approachable recipe any of us can make at home. If you think of it like she does, a simple white sauce with its richness from egg yolks and lightened with egg whites, it’s not all that difficult. Adding cooked chicken and spinach elevates this souffle from an airy appetizer to a perfect entree. She calls for frozen spinach but I’d cook down a pound of the fresh stuff, drain off the liquid, and chop it up myself. Either way, don’t be afraid of trying this one-if you have never made a souffle, this is the recipe for you.

Ripe nectarines are to die for. I love the smell as much as the juice that runs down my chin when I eat them. They’re messy and tasty and sadly, gone very soon. To preserve some of that summer fruit, The Los Angeles Times recommends Perfumed Nectarine Jam. Made simple with nectarines, sugar, and lemon juice, the “perfume” comes from a bit of lemon verbena. The herb, citrus scented in a big way, grows like crazy in my backyard mini-garden. It’s easy to go overboard with it, and this isn’t supposed to taste like soap, so be careful. If you can’t get your hands on verbena, they recommend basil or rose geranium-I think fresh mint would be lovely too. So preserve-away…when the fall chill and winter cold is upon you and your summer nectarines can be spread on toast, you’ll be happy you did it.